'NO SMOKING, NO INDIA': Casual racism in Thailand
By Taimoor N. Sobhan


The flat listings shown to the author. Photo: Taimoor N. Sobhan

OPINION — This piece of paper was given to me while I was out flat hunting.

The lovely people working at Baan Chao Phraya Condo showed me a few apartments, and eventually gave me this list of available units. I noticed the odd remark immediately.

I’ve heard of apartment owners denying people rental contracts on the basis of race in other South-East Asian cities, but I had never experienced it in Bangkok.

I have since found out that it really isn’t an uncommon occurrence here. Indians (and brown people in general, or “Khaeks,” like me), bear the brunt of this phenomenon.

Luckily, I didn’t like the apartment. I also would prefer not to have a racist asshat as a landlord, to be perfectly honest.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/02/24/no-smoking-no-india-casual-racism-thailand


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-02-25

You can't call some thai people racists. They wouldn't understand.

Edited February 24, 201610 yr by Shroud

The way I look at it, it's my Condo and I set the ground rules, .....

So, if that's what that owner's preference is, that's fine by me....

As opposed to casual racism it is a preference the owner has passed on to the agent and the agent has accidentally included it on the lettings list.

Racism is alive & well in Thailand and has been for many years.

They are taught from an early age that Thai's are superior to any other alien.

The way I look at it, it's my Condo and I set the ground rules, .....

So, if that's what that owner's preference is, that's fine by me....

It's not uncommon to have some racism in a person. What is uncommon is to openly advertise it. This owner should keep his prejudices to himself and if an Indian came to look at the place then the owner could just politely refuse using any excuse he wanted to

The way I look at it, it's my Condo and I set the ground rules, .....

So, if that's what that owner's preference is, that's fine by me....

It's not uncommon to have some racism in a person. What is uncommon is to openly advertise it. This owner should keep his prejudices to himself and if an Indian came to look at the place then the owner could just politely refuse using any excuse he wanted to

Yeah, and waste the shopper's time. That's brilliant. It's wrong on all counts. Don't check your values at BKK. OK in Thailand but still WRONG.

The way I look at it, it's my Condo and I set the ground rules, .....

So, if that's what that owner's preference is, that's fine by me....

It's not uncommon to have some racism in a person. What is uncommon is to openly advertise it. This owner should keep his prejudices to himself and if an Indian came to look at the place then the owner could just politely refuse using any excuse he wanted to

Yeah, and waste the shopper's time. That's brilliant. It's wrong on all counts. Don't check your values at BKK. OK in Thailand but still WRONG.

I never said it was right or even proper. Just that their were other ways to rent to the people he wants rather than openly advertise his prejudice.

Given the choice of being jerked around as an applicant the open advertising is preferable.

Casual? What casual?

Edited February 24, 201610 yr by doremifasol

It's only the single apartment and not the entire apartment building?

I just lost interest.

Racism is clearly alive in Thailand. Just because someone is black, Indian, Thai etc, doesn't mean they can't be racist. It doesn't mean their form of racism is any less offensive and wrong.

As a leftist myself, I find it's usually the biggest leftest progressives that will justify this behaviour by saying 'It's their culture. They don't know any better". Well, that's exactly what racism is - ignorance.

It's 2016. Homogeneity isn't endearing and people are moving around a lot.

The condo owner is probably turning down Indians as tenants due to the potential problem of lingering smells from cooking curries, similar to the lingering smell of smokers.

No intention of any racism.

The condo owner is probably turning down Indians as tenants due to the potential problem of lingering smells from cooking curries, similar to the lingering smell of smokers.

No intention of any racism.

And yet...

The owner may have had prior unhappy out comes from renting to an Indian person, I see it is a one bed room but once chains are hung from the ceiling and floor sheeting put in place suddenly it is a three tier bedroom and lets see sleeping head to foot on that upper level could be six, middle level six bottom level four ( a bit more expensive )

Tarnishing all peoples with the same brush or pigeon hole-ing them, is a fact of life.

Simple way is the tried and true here charge separate security deposit of 1 million baht win win then

Simple way is the tried and true here charge separate security deposit of 1 million baht win win then

Be a lot simpler if they tried thinking and understood their racism for what it is.

Cheaper too.

I wouldn't call this racism. I have no problems with indians at all but for a neighbour i wouldn't choose them.

Once in the bts-skytrain a group of 10-15 men came in. Immediatly there was a bad smell everywhere around us, really very bad. People were all searching for what caused it and covering their noses...I almost had to puke from the smell as well.....It happened to be the Indians who produced that smell...it was really awfull.

Now you might call me (and all the Thai in the bts) a racists but i'm married with a Thai wife and live among only Thai.

This is probably the reason why they won't rent to them....i don't call that racism. Charging 10-foulded prices because of skincolor is racism in my opinion and India also does that at the Taj Mahall..

Racism and prejudice is common here, as with other countries, and barely disguised as there's really little comeback as far as I can see.

Imagine the reaction to something like this in western countries.

Edited February 25, 201610 yr by NongKhaiKid

As opposed to casual racism it is a preference the owner has passed on to the agent and the agent has accidentally included it on the lettings list.

Why should it be accidental? If the owner does not want Indians in their apartment then that is up to him. Personally I don't blame them for that

off topic post removed

I have condos and I never rent to Thais and all the agents know this

Find it entertaining the number of posts saying Thai's are racist seemingly unaware that that is a racist comment that puts the poster in the same boat.

Some folks just don't like free speech..........

The condo owner is probably turning down Indians as tenants due to the potential problem of lingering smells from cooking curries, similar to the lingering smell of smokers.

No intention of any racism.

And yet...

Yeah and yet?

It's not racism, it's called the right of the owner to preserve his property, in contrast with what happens in the pc nanny states where property owners end up in court to be compensated for the damages done to their properties.

And in most cases the the pc judge will side with the "weak" renter and the owner will never see his money.

I know you like to argue for the sake of post count, but how would you like to have a your property rented to someone who cooks a pot of curry every day or has 15 people living there?

You will know that this practice is very common in Singapore as well.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26832115

Charlene, an estate agent, said it was common for landlords to prefer not to rent to tenants from India or mainland China because such tenants "are not people who are house proud".

"Many don't clean weekly, and they do heavy cooking, so dust and oil collect over the months. They may use a lot of spices that release smells people don't like."

There are also fears that those tenants will illegally sublet to others, she said, adding: "Cleanliness and culture is a very strong factor."

And this from Australia

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2134567

I rented out a few rooms in a share house to a bunch of Indian guys, and more than a year after they left all the cupboards still have the curry/spice smell and I've never been able to get the yellow stains out of the white splash back. Even for a couple of months after they moved out every time I went to that house it still smelt like a spice shop when I walked in the door.

Edited February 25, 201610 yr by TheCruncher

Imagine the reaction to something like this in western countries.

You mean those PC cuckold countries where packs of immigrants can go around molesting women and face little consequence but then if the locals protest they get labeled nazis?

I'd take Thailand any day

Edited February 25, 201610 yr by Jdiddy

six months ago I would of thought it was un called for and wrong now I wish the agents that do short term rents in our building

would ban the Indians from the condo's as they are constant trouble during high season and if they move next to you no one

gets any sleep, groups of five or six with no respect for any one.

They also don't rent out to smokers, would you also call that discrimination? I'm a smoker but have no problems at all with that rule.

As a general and personal rule, I do not trust much of what most Thai's say and judge them purely based on their actions.

Is that racist? Some might say it is... I just call it "Common Sense/Survival", based on previous bad experiences with Thai's lying to me.

The Condo-owner maybe had a previous bad experience with an Indian person and therefore do not want Indians staying in his/her condo. Same as I do not trust much of the words coming out of a Thai mouth, if it is a person I do not know well.

To me it has nothing to do with Racism. Its purely common sense and I would also not enjoy having an Indian person living in my condo.

Edited February 25, 201610 yr by khunpa

The no smoking coupled with no Indians would indicate to me, anyway, that the owner is attempting to keep his apartment from needing to be steam-cleaned and repainted when the tenant leaves.

Can attest to the experience that there are a number other cooking traditions, like the outdoor frying operation on the balcony favored by the Thais, that do not go well with condo/apartment living.